Electrical filling fork



ELECTRICAL FILLING FORK Filed May 6, 1952 Inventor fimaarih Patented May 29, 1934 UNITED} STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL FILLING FORK Thomas E. Carroll, Waterford, Conn.

Application May 6, 1932, Serial No. 609,705

8 Claims. (Cl. 139-372).

My invention relates to means for controlling the stop motion of a loom or the like, and it is an important object of my invention to provide anelectrical control of thistype to be substituted for the presently used mechanical control, whereby to operate saidstop motion in a more efficient and reliable manner, thereby increasing the capacity and efliciency of looms and the like, and obtaining a considerable .saving in expense for in labor and material, .and enabling the producing of superior material .by the. loom or the like.

Other-objects anda'dvantages of my invention will be apparent-froma reading of the following description in connection- .with the drawing, wherein for purposes of illustrationI have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the drawing:-- Figure 1 is a general sectional elevational view of the embodiment showing a portion of a loom -with the said embodimentmounted thereon.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of one ofthefilling fork assemblies.

Considerable loss of time: and material'and great inconvenience, withthe :attendant expense in the operation of loomsrand'thelike is occasioned by faulty operation of the: present types of filling fork mechanisms for. controlling the stop motions of thelooms; because'of the tendency of the'present types 'of filling. forkmechanisms to slip and bounce out of correct operating position. Because of this .Jtendency frequent readjustment of the mechanisms is required to maintain them in acceptably "efficient operating condition. However, despite such frequent readjustment, an efficient cooperating condition of the filling forks is diflicultxtomaintain.

The defective operation referred to is especial- 1y manifest when the filling of the fabric being manufactured is somewhat loose. In such a case, the operation of the loomis frequently interrupted to enable readjusting the filling fork mechanisms, because of the inability which develops in such mechanisms. to accurately and promptly stop the loom whenever a break in the thread occurs. Obviously it would be a great advantage and a very considerable saving in expense, to replace such defectively operating filling forkmechanisms with a filling fork mechanism which would promptly, accurately, and unfailingly' operate the stop motion so as to stop the 100m whenever a break:occurs, and it is to provide a superior stopmotion control having these desirable characteristics that I have devised the construction and arrangement of parts set forth herein,

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numerals 1 refer to the filling forks rockably mounted upon a shaft 2 carried by a bracket 3 which in turn is carried by the supporting arm 4. The shaft 2, forks 1, and the bracket 3 are insulated from the supporting arm 1, While one end of the shaft 2 has means indicated by the numeral 5 for connecting thereto the electrical conductor 6. For yieldably holding the filling forks 1 in the correct horizontal position, I provide the small springs 7 which have a hooked portion 8 engaged over thehorizontal portion of the forks as shown, an intermediate portion laying under the shaft 2 and the remaining portion engaged with the bracket 3 above the shaft 2. The springs '7 posi- 79 tively return the forks to the correct horizontal position from any other position, after operation.

It will be observed that in their initial position the'horizontal portion of the forks engage an abutment 9 on the bracket 3. This arrangement prevents the forks from tilting upwardly beyond the horizontal position, and maintains them correctly levelled, and prevents their bouncing.

When the loom is operating and the filling is brought down upon the forks by the lathe, the significant portion of which is generally designated by the numeral 10 in Figure 1, the filling forks 1 will be tilted downwardly in the usual way; Should the filling break as the forks are tilted in this manner, there will be nothing to hold the filling forks from being returned toward their initial position by the springs 7, and, in returning to their initial postion the depending portion of the filling forks will engage the contact rod 12. The switch 17 being closed at this time, operation of the loom stop motion occurs. The contact rod 12 is grounded to the frame of the loom as indicated at 14 so that a complete circuit obtains, which includes the contact bar 12, theloom frame, the stop motion, the switch 17, and the filling forks, in the order named. One side of the stop motion is connected by means of a conductor 16 to one side of the switch mechanism tobe described, and the conductor 6 connects the remaining side of the switch mechanism to the filling forks.

The switch mechanism 17 is preferably enclosed in a suitable casing which has in its lower portion a di-electric block 18 through which slides a camoperated plunger 19 which has on its upper end within the casing a contact plate 21 which a dielectric'plate 22 insulates from the plunger. An enlarged head or stop member 20 below the contact plate is arranged to strike the top of 110,

the block 18. Outside of the casing the plunger carries a circumposed return spring 23 which is compressed between the casing and a wedge shaped striker 24, by reason of which arrangement of the spring 23, the plunger has normally and initially the position shown in the drawing.

Within the upper part of the casing 17 there is mounted a pair of horizontally spaced dashpots 25, 26 each of which has a contact member 27, 28, respectively, normally spring pressed downwardly into a position to be engaged by the contact plate 21 when it reaches an elevated po sition, wherein it bridges the contacts 27, 28. It will be obvious that the conductor 16 is connected to the contact member 2'7 of the dash-pot 25 and that the conductor 6 is connected to the contact member 28 of the dash-pot 26.

The contact plunger is operated into the elevated contact bridging position through the. medium of a cam generally designated 29 which is fixed on the picker shaft 30 of the loom. A rider arm 31 arranged to ride constantly on the cam 29 is interposed between the cam 29 and the striker 24 of the switch plunger.

With the filling forks mounted on the left hand side of the 100m, the cam switch (which is arranged toclose at every other pick of the loom) is so timed by virtue of its operation by the cam on the picker shaft once every revolution of the picker shaft, that when the shuttles lay in the boxes on the fork or left-hand side of the loom and the lathe reaches its maximum forward position, the cam switch will be closed. The filling at this position of the fork will be across the forks and grid and will push the forks rearwardly away from the contact or ground rod behind the grid. If the filling should break during the course of the movement of the shuttle over to the right and back again, there will be no filling to push the forks back when the loom again reaches the stated position. The forks will then pass between the bars of the grid and come into contact with the ground rod and complete the circuit for but an instant.

The cam switch being closed during the stated instant, and the forks in contact with the ground rod, the stop motion circuit is energized and trips a dog which engages the knock off arm to shipping lever. The electrical circuit for the forks is tapped from the stop motion circuit.

As previously stated the cam switch is operated so as to be closed and close the stop motion circuit when the shuttles are in the boxes on the left of the loom and the lathe is in its maximum forward position, and that the cam switch opens the said stop motion circuit when the shuttles are in the boxes on the right and the lathe is in the said maximum forward position. The forks may be mounted on either the right or the left hand side of the loom simply by changing the timing of the cam switch.

It has already been indicated that after the forks have been moved by the filling from the initial normal position of rest, they are returned individually by the fine springs indicated by the terial and structure and arrangement of parts,

within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. The combination with a loom equipped with anelectrical stop motion circuit, filling forks, and a picker shaft, of an auxiliary circuit energizable by said stop motion circuit and including said filling forks, a contact member and a normally open switch, a cam on said picker shaft operatively engaged with said switch for closing the same and permitting the same to open intermittently, said contact member being engageable by said filling forks when a weft thread breaks while said'switch is closed, whereby said stop motion circuit will be closed.

2. A stop motion control for a loom having picker shaft and a stop motion circuit, an auxiliary circuit interposed in said stop motion circuit and including filling forks, a contact member, and a normally open switch, a cam on said picker shaft operatively engaged with said switch for closing the same and permitting the same to return to open position, said contact member being arranged to be engaged by said filling forks when a weft thread breaks so as to close said auxiliary circuit.

3. A stop motion control for a loom having picker shaft and a stop motion circuit, an auxiliary circuit interposed in said stop motion circuit and including filling forks, a contact member, and a normally open switch, a cam on said picker shaft operatively engaged with said switch for closing the same and permitting the same to return to open position, said contact member being arranged to be engaged by said filling forks when a weft thread breaks so as to close said auxiliary circuit, said cam on the picker shaft being arranged to close said switch at a time when said filling forks are engaging the weft thread.

4. The combination with a loom having an electrical stop motion circuit, filling forks, andv a picker shaft, of an auxiliary circuit energized by said stop motion circuit, a cam operated switch interposed in said auxiliary circuit, cam means on said picker shaft for operating said switch, and contact means connected to said stop motion circuit and. arranged to be contacted by said filling forks when a weft thread breaks while a filling is operatively engaging said filling forks, whereby said auxiliary circuit is momentarily closed subject to a closed condition of said switch, for operatively closing said stop motion circuit.

5. The combination with a loom having an electrical stop motion circuit, filling forks, and a picker shaft, of an auxiliary circuit energized by said stop motion circuit, a cam operated switch interposed in said auxiliary circuit between said stop motion circuit and said filling forks, cam means on said picker shaft for operating said switch, contact means connected to said stop motion circuit and arranged to be contacted by said filling forks when a weft thread of a filling operatively engaged with said filling forks breaks, whereby said auxiliary circuit is momentarily closed, and, subject to a closed condition of said switch, operatively closes said stop motion circuit, and spring means yieldably holding said filling forks in their initial position and for returning the same to said initial position after operation thereof.

6. The combination with a. loom equipped with an electrical stop motion circuit, filling forks,

and a picker shaft, of an auxiliary circuit energized by said stop motion circuit and including said filling forks, a normally open switch interposed between said stop motion circuit and said filling forks, cam means on said picker shaft operatively engaging a portion of said switch for closing the same, and contact means connected to said stop motion circuit and arranged to be contacted by said filling forks when a, weft thread of a filling operatively engaging said filling forks breaks, whereby said stop motion circuit is operatively energized subject to a closed condition of said switch.

7. A stop motion control for a loom, said loom including rockable filling forks, a picker shaft, and a stop motion circuit, said control comprising an auxiliary circuit which includes said filling forks, a normally open switch, said switch being interposed between said stop motion circuit and said auxiliary circuit, cam means on said picker shaft operatively engaging a portion of said switch for intermittently closing the same, a contact member connected to said stop motion circuit, said contact member being arranged to be contacted by said filling forks whenever a weft thread of a filling operatively engaging and holding said filling forks rocked out of initial position breaks and permits said filling forks to rock toward their initial position and into contact with said contact member, while said switch is closed, whereby said stop motion circuit is operatively closed.

8. A stop motion control for a loom, said loom including rockable filling forks, a picker shaft, and a stop motion circuit, said control comprising an auxiliary circuit which includes said filling forks, a normally open switch, said switch being interposed between said stop motion circuit and said auxiliary circuit, cam means on said picker shaft operatively engaging a portion of said switch for intermittently closing the same, a contact member connected to said stop motion circuit, said contact member being arranged to be contacted by said filling forks whenever a weft thread of a filling operatively engaging and holding said filling forks rocked out of initial position breaks and permits said filling forks to rock toward their initial position and into contact with said contact member, while said switch is closed, whereby said stop motion circuit is operatively closed, and spring means yieldably holding said rockable filling forks in said initial position and acting to rock the same to said initial position and into contact with said contact member, when said thread breaks.

THOMAS E. CARROLL. 

